In response to the Israeli boarding of Comoros flagged ship "Mavi Marmara" - part of the "Freedom Flotilla" ferrying relief supplies to Palestinians - in international waters off the coast of Israel on May 31st hundreds of journalists and university students staged a pro-Palestinian demonstration in Bogor, West Java on 1st June.

Meanwhile of the 12 Indonesians on board the "Mavi Marmara" one among them was hurt in the incident, and is currently being treated at the London Hospital in Haifa, Israel, and will likely be deported once recovered.

Possibly one of these fellows.

The Indonesian volunteers travelling on the boat came from various organisations including Friends of Al-Aqsa, the Medical Emergency Rescue Committee (MER-C), and the Indonesian Committee for Solidarity With Palestine (KISPA).

85 Comments on “Mavi Marmara Incident”

Hey-Ho! I was rather expecting somebody to post on this issue, and am glad to have the opportunity to weigh in early due to my habitual insomnia.

I really can’t see why Israel should be condemned so roundly for this incident.
My own views tend to tilt towards the Palestinians in general, partly because of the sheer injustice which we Westerners perpetrated against the Arabs whom we were mandated to look after post-1918, and partly also because of the brutality of the Jewish occupation forces, going way back to the massacre of innocents at Deir Yassin in the Forties.

But having seen the video on YouTube of the louts on board the vessel laying into IDF personnel as they landed on a ship which had been clearly warned not to proceed, I have to conclude that the people involved were not ‘charitable activists’ so much as pro-Hamas thugs. IDF misread the nature of the protests and were armed with paint-ball rifles, expecting nothing worse than minor scuffles. Only when the ‘peaceful activists’ arsenal of clubs, bats and sling-shots was used to do serious harm to their fellow-troops did more lethal weapons come into play.

If some of the ‘activists’ were indeed peaceful in their intent and were injured in the resulting violence, that is of course sad, but they ought to have been more careful in the company they chose to keep.

That brings me onto the demos which appear in the picture above, with the usual jilbabbed selective indignation on display.
Such fierce outrage over fifteen deaths – where were these protestors demonstrating after 9/11, when rather more, and more innocent, civilians were murdered in cold blood by Islamonazis?
I don’t recall traffic-jams in Bogor or anywhere else in Jabotabek caused by rallies condemning that real atrocity.
Interesting too, to note that ‘journalists’ were out there belly-aching in Bogor, instead of objectively reporting.
Given the lousy bias in the media here, with that dirge about how they ‘won’t go down’ played incessantly on tv news channels, and absurdly slanted items about Zionist aggression’ – why don’t some of these pathetic apologies for ‘journalists’ demand that their employers apply impartial standards in the media they operate.

Like I say, what Israel has done over the years to Palestinians has been manifestly unfair. but this maritime incident just doesn’t merit the hysterical outrage we are witnessing.

I was expecting this post too. And you all already know what my comment would be:

Correct asian *) attitude is to say to both israel and arab states: Yawn. Who cares. Get on with your problems. We don’t care. Good luck (read: good bye).

*) in my mental map, asia ends in western part of china

We asians — and especially indonesians — can not afford to be distracted by stupidities **) like middle-east conflict. We have to focus on developing our asian prosperity zone.

**) That’s what happen when people make up their religions based on telenovela-like story (abraham f*cked sarah and hagar, and the two bitches fought each other, and so do their offsprings).

Beside, in my view, genetically, culturally, and historically we have nothing to do with those middle-eastern nations. So, why bother?

I hope many indonesians also think they way I do on this matter, and indonesian media, please… minimize reporting on anything about middle east. Focus on what happen in china, japan, and (east) asia in general (including, of course, our own country, indonesia). It’s not such a big loss (not a loss at all) to not know anything ***) about middle east. For some cases ignorance is bliss, and middle-east is one of them.

I tend to agree with you Ross. While I’m no fan of either side of this conflict, it does appear that the IDF forces were attacked as soon as they got on the boat (although the flotilla members claim that they were shot at before they landed). Then there are claims that there were “humanitarian” items such as bullet-proof vests, gas masks, and night vision goggles amongst the aid.

Then there are claims that the Jews brought only paintball guns (yep, to play paintball I guess!)

The jews also accuse the flotilla members of having links to terrorists and all the rest.
Although obviously they showed some restraint, otherwise the ship crew would all be dead by now.

I find it really hard to take sides over the issue with all the facts hidden, and lied about. The Jews even acknowledge that there is an “information war” being fought against it.
Well, excuse me, but that really sums it all up now doesn’t it?
I find it hard to support any side when both of them are using propoganda, lies, and any backhanded tactics they can find to kill each other.

The reason for problems of the Middle East is that Palestinians never had peace
as the goal.
plo firing thousands of rockets into Israel from the Gaza Strip.
No country in the world would accept this form of the daily aggression, but still produced
precisely the requirement for Israel.
and to let God’s grave, in Muslim hands, I must see as inconceivable

Re paintball guns- apparently they are used to disperse unruly crowds, which presumably the IDF expected – but not the violence that was offered them by the thugs prepared with weapons.

The Western Government spokesmen (like that poor chap Hague in the UK) who conndemned the loss of life without a clear condmenation of who was spoilng for a fight, seem, like the UN, to have little grasp of maritime law. As the Washington Times said ”Navies routinely stop, board and search suspicious vessels, and Israel has intercepted blockade runners headed to Gaza for years.’

Just tuned into Metro Tv where a cute reporterette is hosting a discussion programme impartially designated DOSA DOSA ISRAEL. Needless to say, there is nobody speaking for Israel on this panel concerning itself with Israel’s Sins, and that is hardly surprising since who will defend sin?!?!
Such abysmal standards of journalism might be expected in Red China or Saudi, but I thought this was a democracy of sorts. What sort?

Incidentally, when Beijing’s occupation forces were brutalising Tibet not long ago, was there any programme entitled Communist Chinese Sins? or indeed Sudan’s Sins?
Or Cuba’s Sins, for its fifty year refusal to allow free elections or free trades unions or a free press?

Not to my knowledge, so only the Great Satan Israel gets put in the dock, and this is clearly for purely sectarian reasons…the disgusting ‘ummat’ concept rearing its ugly head again. If the Palestinians were Presbyterians, nobody here with any clout would give a monkey’s what happens to them.

Did you know that, in the years 2000-2008, around 5,000 palestinians and 700 israelis have died?

During a similar timeframe (2003-2010), anywhere between 20,000 and 400,000 people have died in Darfur, with the most credible estimates somewhere 100,000 and 200,000. Between 1998-2004, something like 2 million people died in the wars in DR Congo. But no, let’s forget about that and instead concentrate all our outrage on a little plot of desert and its selfish residents instead.

The major problem I have with Muslims (not Islam), is that the great majority of them will simply defend their fellow muslims for doing bad things which would be un-islamic if they did them to fellow muslims.

It’s tribalism at it’s worst.

These muslims want Islam to cover the globe, but it’s never going to happen while they still think in terms of “Us vs them”

Must agree with Odinius’ most recent post.
The Muslim ummat sectarian mind-set and the Zionist grip on US politics between them do give Palestine/Israel a much higher profile than it would otherwise get.

I agree with Odinius!!! 2 million in Congo???? I know that the Chinese are now chopping all the rainforest away overthere a disaster much like what has happened in Sumatera, Kalimantan and now Papua too…

A while ago I saw this incredible movie about whats going on in Darfur:

“Islam” is not the name of a religion, it is a description. “Islam” is the
total subjugation and devotion to God ALONE. Consequently, there is
many Muslim Christian, Muslim Jews, Muslims and Muslim. There is only
a religion – to dedicate their worship to God ALONE. It’s the First Commandment in
Old Testament, New Testament, and ””’The Final Testament, Quran“`´´´.

Just been watching SCTV, lunchtime news, a parade of tiny children being orchestrated by the usual types, condemning Israel, which they probably couldn’t find on a map, let alone have any understanding of the politics or history of the area. Prior to that, yet another cute reporterette gave us more impartial journalism, the item illustrated with the words Israeli Cruelty.

They also showed that video of the IDF guys landing from the chopper, only to be pounded by ‘peace activist’ thugs, wielding clubs and iron bars.
Presumably they think that’s how humanitarians are meant to behave.

well i warn you odinius it’s a beautiful film but terrible at the same time. there’s this scene in this village where they’ve been slaughtering the people, chained a whole bunch of 9 year old schoolgirls around a pole, poured gasoline over ’em and set them ablaze, not much left but their charred bones and their shackles…

You should read Jon Ronson’s account of going to Bohemian Grove with Jones. It’s pretty funny…Jones was acting like he was in mortal danger, hiding in the bushes and so on, while Ronson and another associate just walked in, sat on the meadow and had a picnic.

Pilger’s a bit different, don’t really see him as that kind of conspiracy theorist. More of the Chomsky variety.

I just plucked this gem from Yahoo Canadan news
—————–
Video of the raid at sea released by the Israeli government appears to show some activists moving violently toward the soldiers. This has prompted Israeli officials to say the footage proves their commandos acted in self defence.

But Neish and his shipmates maintain they had no guns, although they do concede some of them were armed with chains, pipes and sticks…..

He has accused the Israeli authorities of mistreating him, intimidating him with guns and dogs, preventing him from using the toilet for 15 hours and keeping him from standing up.
—————————–
And the heading for the news item was ‘Canadian Brutalised..’
So he couldn’t have a pee and had to lie down…this is brutality? I suppose it is to somebody who thinks chains, pipes and sticks are not offensive weapons.

Outside the people who are in a permanent state of outrage against Israel, most people aren’t bothered by that kind of stuff, but are fairly incensed at the deaths of…how many is it now? 10 protestors? More?

Certainly no surprises here, the dunderheaded ones were out in force again..yawn! Mobs are well known as collectively the lowest form of intelligence but there must be competition on that I am not aware of. Why else would Indonesia be going all out to win the “Dunder-prize” Seriously did you see the picture of the thug vandalising the Synagogue in Sby…duh!

One has wonder any chance of at all of mention of suicide bombers, rockets in civilian areas. Hamas murders of Fatah Arabs. Perhaps the declared intention of Hamas to the destruction of Israel as a state or the comment by one of the “unbaised” humanitian workers “Citizens of Israel” had better get used to having no nation of their own.

Have anyone considered scientific approach to solving this middle east problem? Maybe it’s genetic, semit (arab & jew) problem. So, genetic engineering might be the solution here; find a segment in their DNA that makes them so hateful / self loathing (jew hating arab, or vice versa, is exactly the same as jew hating jew or arab hating arab, because they’re both semites, originating from abraham’s sperms).

Hans wrote : “Islam” is not the name of a religion, it is a description. “Islam” is the
total subjugation and devotion to God ALONE. Consequently, there is
many Muslim Christian, Muslim Jews, Muslims and Muslim. There is only
a religion – to dedicate their worship to God ALONE. It’s the First Commandment in
Old Testament, New Testament, and ””’The Final Testament, Quran“`

One god ? The same god who orders muslims not to eat pork and not to drink alcohol but allows them to marry 4 wives, who allows Jews to drink alcohol but not to eat pork and to take only one wife and who tells christians to enjoy pork and alcohol but prohibits more than one wife ?

Anyone want to bet that the idiot vandal in white never gets arrested in the land of tolerance and understanding? Still I am sure the Sby jews were consulted at length about the “raid” so fair enough???